1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf club. More particularly, the present invention relates to a wedge golf club, which wedge golf club is used by golfers to strike a golf ball which has landed either in a sand trap or a bunker generally located in close proximity to a putting green or on the fairway between the tee and the putting green.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
The present invention is used with a sand wedge. The sand wedge is a golf club used for a particular application in hitting golf shots characterized by its ability to give a golf ball a quick loft when the golf ball is hit and a high trajectory, along with a controlled spin imparted to the golf ball. The sand wedge is also commonly used by golfers to chop a golf ball out of tall grass or rough, in addition to hitting a golf ball from a sand-filled bunker.
The club head of the sand wedge has a particularly pitched ball contact surface and uneven shape to achieve the desired pattern of golf ball flight and golf ball rotation after contact with the pitched ball contact surface. The club head of a sand wedge also has a rounded bottom which contacts the sand in a bunker.
The distribution of weight and the shape of the club head provides more bounce for the golf club head of a sand wedge when hitting a golf ball. The golf club head of a sand wedge bounces off sand or the ground rather than digging into sand or the ground. These considerations make the sand wedge ideal for hitting a golf ball from the unstable sand surface found in a sand trap to provide more control and accuracy regarding the flight and direction imparted by the golfer on the golf ball when hitting the golf ball out of a sand trap.
Because of the frequency of use of the sand wedge in physical and environmental conditions, unlike the other grassy parts of a golf course, the sand wedge is especially vulnerable to physical degradation of the club head. Regular golf clubs, such as drivers, wedges and putters, do not impart the loft, the trajectory and the spin on the golf ball imparted by the sand wedge, thus they are not subject to the shortened life span and the wear and tear experienced by those golf clubs used in sandy conditions.
All golf clubs have a ball contact surface on the club head which contacts the surface of the golf ball. This ball contact surface typically has a plurality of grooves. The grooves are important because it is the grooves on the ball contact surface which enable the golfer to control the flight of the golf ball through the air. The grooves on the ball contact surface dig into the surface of the golf ball thus causing the golf ball to spin. The spinning motion imparted to the golf ball by the grooves on the ball contact surface allows the golfer to control the flight path of the golf ball and the rolling action of the golf ball after landing back on the ground. For example, backspin can be used on the golf ball to contact the surface of the green and effectively stick the golf ball in the place where the golf ball strikes the ground. As the edges of the grooves on the ball contact surface become smoother, the golf ball will not rotate as fast after being struck by the ball contact surface. As the edges of the grooves are worn, the golfer's ability to control the spin of the golf ball is diminished. When this happens, typically a golfer will have to replace the entire golf club when the edges of the grooves on the ball contact surface are no longer effective or are no longer predictable regarding the spin imparted on the golf ball.
The issue of the replacement of the replacement of the grooves on the ball contact surface of a club head is especially important for a sand wedge. The sand wedge is primarily used in a sandy environment. The sandy environment intensifies the erosion of the edges of the grooves in the ball contact surface. Repeated use of a sand wedge in a sandy environment decreases the life span of a sand wedge more quickly than the normal wear and tear on regular golf clubs. Furthermore, the material composition of the material from which the grooves in the ball contact surface are formed is important.
The ball contact surface for the golf ball can be made of harder or softer metals. Because of the physical properties of the metal selected, softer materials create a better feel for the golfer when striking the golf ball; however, the softer materials also degrade faster. Replacement of the grooves on the ball contact surface of the club head is an important consideration for maintaining the consistency the flight path and the spin of the golf ball as well as the feel of the golf club by the golfer as the club head makes contact with the surface of the golf ball.
In the past, inventors have addressed the problem of replacing the grooves on the ball contact surface of a golf club head without having to replace the entire golf club. Typically, some prior art golf club heads have a removable and replaceable plate. This removable and replaceable plate has a plurality of grooves. As the grooves in the removable and replaceable plate become worn, the removable and replaceable plate can be replaced with a new plate with new grooves. Several patents have issued to address the problem of replacing plates with grooves formed therein on golf club heads.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,47, issued on Aug. 1, 1995, to Rigutto, discloses a golf club putter. A face piece is attached to a front portion of the body of the golf club putter. Each face piece is removably attached to the golf club putter body. Each face piece can be different. Each face piece can have a different pitch to cause a differ angle of contact with the surface of the golf ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,660, issued Apr. 23, 1996, to Elmer, teaches another golf club head. There are two body parts to this golf club head. The first body part is a flat plate which is used to contact the surface of the golf ball. The second body part is a weighted frame that forms the rear side of the golf club head. The two body parts are connected together by screws to form a golf club head with an interchangeable face. The screws or rivets pass through a front surface of the first body part and connect to the second body part.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,149, issued on Oct. 21, 1986, to R. Maxel, teaches another golf club having interchangeable face plates. Each face plate has a planar back surface for attachment to the golf club head body. The front face of each face plate contains a surface for contacting the surface of the golf ball. This front face can have different characteristics such as curvature and grooves, to affect the flight of the golf ball after contact with the golf club head. Screws are attached through the front face of each face plate to the golf club head body. This invention is directed toward a particular type of golf club, specifically a fairway wood.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,808, issued on Dec. 5, 1989, to Retzer, teaches another golf club having exchangeable face plates. The club head of this invention has a face portion, a toe portion, and a heel portion. The face plate has a plurality of shafts extending from a back surface thereof. The shafts of the face plate fit into a series of holes on the face portion of the golf club head. Once the face plate is inserted into the series of holes, a screw is inserted through the bottom of the club head. The screw engages the shaft of the face plate in a transverse manner in order to secure the face plate to the club head body.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D399,276, issued on Oct. 6, 1998, to Hettinger et al., illustrates a golf club head having a face insert. This design discloses a golf club head with a planar front face and a curved back surface. The description of the design includes a reference to a removable face plate. However, the design drawing figures do not illustrate how the face plate is attached to the golf club head.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sand wedge type golf club with an interchangeable face plate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sand wedge type golf club with easily removable and replaceable grooves on a faceplate.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a face plate for a golf club formed of a first material composition and a club head with a second composition, wherein the first composition and the second composition are different.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a face plate for a golf club with a unitary and planar front face.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an attachment means for a golf club enabling secure attachment of the face plate to the golf club head without affecting the position of the ball contact surface of the faceplate with respect to the club head.
It is a further object of the present invention to reduce manufacturing costs and time to make a clubhead and faceplate assembly without affecting the quality of the golf club.
These and other object and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and the appended claims.